1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover attached on a wall for leading a cable or the like to the inside of a thermostatic apparatus, such as an operation apparatus or a storage apparatus, and also relates to a thermostatic apparatus using the cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in the biotechnology field or the like, thermostatic apparatuses, such as a storage apparatus called an incubator, and the like have been used in which environmental conditions thereof such as temperature and humidity can be kept constant for culturing cells. In the incubator, samples or the like are stored in an inner chamber (hereinafter referred to as a storage chamber) enclosed with multiple walls and having, for example, a rectangular-parallelepiped shape. The environmental conditions in the storage chamber can be kept constant. In the meantime, isolators have been used as thermostatic apparatuses. An isolator is an operation apparatus which allows experiments or operations to be performed in an inner chamber (hereinafter referred to as an operation chamber) by use of operation means. The operation chamber is enclosed with multiple walls and has a rectangular-parallelepiped shape, and so on. The operation means includes: a robot hand installed inside the operation chamber; a glove which allows operations to be performed in the operation chamber through an operation hole communicating with the operation chamber: and the like. Accordingly, such use of an isolator as a thermostatic apparatus enables experiments and operations to be performed under constant conditions in which temperature, humidity, and the like are kept constant.
The outer enclosures of these apparatuses, the storage chambers or operation chambers inside the outer enclosures, and the like have so called sealing capability against the surroundings. This sealing capability minimizes chemical and biological influences from the surroundings. In addition, these components have heat insulated structures. With the sealing capability and the heat insulated structure, these apparatuses including a temperature/humidity controller for controlling the temperature and humidity therein can thus keep their internal environments in desired constant conditions. Note that, in the isolators, operation means, such as the above-described glove has sealing capability.
The environment in the above-described inner chambers (hereinafter referred to as internal environment) is highly humid. For example, the temperature in the inner chambers is generally approximately 37° C., and the humidity is 80% or more. In some case, the humidity reaches 95%.
In order to lead a cable into the inner chamber, that is, the operation chamber or the storage chamber, from the outside, the outer enclosure needs to have at least one hole, thorough which the cable is led into the inner chamber from the outside. Examples of the cable (hereinafter generally referred to as a cord-shaped body) include a lead wire, an optical fiber cable, a tube, and the like connected to a measuring instrument or a controlling instrument. The measuring instrument and the controlling instrument are used for performing operations in the operation chamber, culturing cells in the storage chamber, or the like.
Since the cord-shaped body is led into the operation chamber or the storage chamber from the outside, the temperature of the cord-shaped body is generally lower than that of the internal environment. This may lower the temperature of the internal environment. In addition, since the temperature of the cord-shaped body is lower than that of the internal environment and the internal environment is highly humid, condensation may occur on the cord-shaped body in the operation chamber or the storage chamber. Moisture attributable to the condensation may allow growth of various bacteria and molds in the operation chamber or the storage chamber. However, the incubator and the isolator need to keep sealing capability against chemical and biological influences. Accordingly, to avoid such growth of various bacteria and molds or the like in the incubator and the isolator, the condensation on the cord-shaped body needs to be avoided. In addition, the moisture may cause deterioration of the cord-shaped body or corrosion of the apparatus. Thus, also in this respect, condensation on the cord-shaped body needs to be avoided.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-39666 discloses a refrigerator in which condensation on a lead wire is suppressed by causing the lead wire to be in contact with a heat pipe installed in an external box of the refrigerator.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-074032 discloses a thermostatic bath in which temperature drop of a component is prevented by the following mechanism. Specifically, a cable housing room is provided under a socket mounting plate, and air is circulated in the cable housing room through an inlet and an outlet. Accordingly, a cable connected to a socket of the component located at the socket mounting plate is heated, and the temperature drop of the component by heat dissipation from the cable become suppressed.
According to the conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-39666, however, in order to prevent condensation on the lead wire, the refrigerator needs to have a built-in mechanism such as the heat pipe to be in contact with the lead wire. Accordingly, there is a problem that, in a refrigerator without the built-in mechanism, condensation on the lead wire can not be prevented in such a way, once the production of the refrigerator is completed.
According to the conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-074032, air is circulated between the cable housing room and the thermostatic bath through the inlet and the outlet. As a result, water vapor around the cable does not decrease. Accordingly, there is a problem that condensed moisture keeps increasing in a case where the condensation is caused in the cable housing room due to the temperature drop of a cable surface caused by heat dissipation outside the cable room.